Speed indicator



July 14, 1936. H. wl FAUS SPEED INDICATOR Filed April 26, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Num,

Quim" July 14, 1936. H W, FAUS 2,047,679

SPEED INDICATOR Filed April 26, v1932 I 2 sheetsheet 2 Patented July 14, 1936 UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE l f Y2,047,679 Y Y SPEED INDICATORV Herbert Fans, White Plains, N. Y. Application April Las, 1932, serial No. 607,609

` 11 claims. (01.104-26) This invention relates to speed indicators and, more particularly, to such suitable for use in connection with car retarders in freight classification yards.

The principal object Yof my invention, generally considered, is the provision of a speed indicator adapted to be actuated by a'moving car to show the speed of said car at a distance,lwhereby the operator of a car retarder will know how much retarding force to apply to the car to avoid collision damage between said car and a stationary car. v

Another object of my invention is the provision of a device for indicating the speed of an object having a motion translation along a predetermined path, said device comprising one or more indicator elements, mechanism adapted to move said element or elements at a constant speed, a. plurality of circuit controlling devices spaced along said path and adapted to be actuatedby said moving object, and a plurality of electrical circuits respectively controlled by said devices, one of said circuits including means for operatively connecting said indicator element or elements to said mechanism for the actuation thereof, and the remaining circuit or circuits including means for arresting the movement of said indicator element or elements, whereby theamount of movement of said element or elements shows the speed or speeds of said object between corresponding circuit controlling devices.

Other objects and advantages of the invention relating to the particular arrangement and construction of the various parts will become apparent as'the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings illustrating my 1invention, thescope whereof is dened by, the appended claimsz- Y i Figure 1 is a diagram representing aportion of a freight classification yard, a car, a ,plurality of car retarders, and an apparatus embodying my invention for showing-the speed of av car in said yard. I

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal vertical section, of the motor driven speedindicating device. Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the motor driven speed indicator.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view showing'one of the indicator elements or disks and the means for arresting movement` thereof.

. device assembled with a section of rail.

ing on the'track beyond the second retarder.

being designated by like reference characters,

netic switch for releasing the disk drive anddisk brakes. f

Figure '7 is a transverse sectional View on the line l-l of Figure 6, looking in the direction .of thearrows. Y Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of the return switch.

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view on the line 9-9 of Figure 8, looking in the direction of the arrows. 10

, Figure 10 is a side elevational view of the magnetic switch for the disk drive magnet.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary transverse sectional 4view on the line l I-l I of Figure 10, looking in 15 the direction of the arrows. A

Figure 12 is a plan of one form of contact de- Vvice which may be employed.

Figure 13 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view on the line |3-l3 of Figure 12, showing the 20 'Figure 14 is a transverse sectional view on the line l4--l4 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of 4 the arrows. l In order to control the movement of cars in a railway car classiiication yard, it has beencus-.25 tomary to use track brakes or car retarders Vcontrolled .from a distance, as by an operator inl a tower. This tower is usually positioned near a retarder so that the operator can estimate, with fair accuracy, the speed Vat which a car leavesO said retarder. 'I'he operator, however, cannot .guess with much accuracy what the speed of the car will be when it` arrives at a second or final retarder which would be spaced a considerable distance from the first retarder and tower,so 35 that he might not apply the proper braking action to the car to avoid releasing it from said vretarder at such a high speed that damage would result upon its colliding with another car stand- It is one of the purposes of my invention to provide indicator means operated automatically by railway vehicles or cars moving in a yard and approaching a car retarder to show an operator, stationed at a distance from the retarder, the speed at which the car is travelling as it approaches the retarder, so he will know how much braking action to apply thereto. w

VReferring to the drawings in detail, like parts there is shown a section of track I, which track may be in a freight classification yard, and a car 2 moving thereon toward a car retarder 3, which Vwe will consider as the rst car retarder. Beyond car retarder 3, at a considerable distance,.isv a VL ure 3. i

second car retarder designated by the reference character 4. It is assumed that the operator of the car retarders 3 and 4 is stationed near the rst car retarder numbered 3, as in a tower (not shown).

The track between car retarders 3 and 4, in the present embodiment, has a plurality of contact devices spaced equidistantly therealong, or substantially so, and adapted to be successively closed by a car passing from car retarder 3 to car retarded 4. The rst contact device` is designated by the reference character 5, the second by the numeral 6, and the third by the character11. All of these devices are electrically connected to a source of electric current, as, for example; abattery 8, for the purpose of controlling theopzeration of a speed indicator, generally designated by the reference character 9.

In the present embodiment, the speed-indi.`

cator comprises a synchronous motor I0 driving through reduction gearingl (not shown) a shaft II at substantially constant speed. Although an electric motoris shown in the present embodiment, itrwill bef understood that other forms of clock mechanism may be employed, if desired. The shaft or spindle II is'preferably turned at a relatively low rate of speed, such, for example,

as at abountlone revolution per minute. On'the shaft# II' aremounted an' outer loose disk I2 and an inner loose disk I3, which disks may be either approximately semicircular, except for the hub portions, asA shown in Figure 5, or circular. Ii

circularor full disks, they would be of transparentvmaterial, one half of each being differently colored. In the preferred embodiment illus- 'trated, each disk issemicircular, the outer disk being colored, for example, red, and the inner diskbeing colored, for example, blue.

The indicator S'hasfa face or cover I4 having a sector cut out to leave a semicircular opening I5 through which portions of the disks I3'Iand/ or I2." arev visible at certain times. l

The disks I2 and I3, which when iny neutral position do not show throughV the opening I5, although normally loose on the shaft, are frictionally engaged with a normally loose hub member I6, as by being pressed thereagainst by a nut I1. acting on a spring I8 which pressesL the outer disk I2" against' an intermediate Washer I9; inner disk I3; washer I9', background disk 20', andf enlarged portion 2I of the hub I6. The hub'- I6 andassociated frictionallydriven disks I2 and I3 are heldy in-l neutral or normal position'VV against disk stop means 22' and hub stop means 23" by a spirali spring 24, as shown most clearly'in-,Fig-

Y The hub I6 is preferably constructed of soft iron and has incorporatedV therewith an electrical winding forming an electromagnet or electromagnetic clutch 25 adapted' to be energizedl by electric current. Fixed onV the shaft II-, as by means ofa set'screw 26, is a flanged iron member or disk 21 which functions as an armature for the magnet 25, so that upon energization thereof the hub I6 grips the memberv 21 and rotates Withlthe shaft I I until the cam portion 28 on the hub has rotated inthe direction oftheA arrow from the position shown in Figure 3 to that shown invfull' lines in Figure 8, where it closes a switch, to be subsequently described, for effecting returntothe original position.

Let it' noWbe assumed that the motor I0, connected tota'. source of alternating current by leads 23; isadrivng. the shaft in the direction of the arrow,1or clockwise as viewed in Figure 3, at constant speed, and that the battery 8 is connected to the circuits and various switches and disk brakes as shown ln Figure 1. As the car 2 leaves retarder 3 and closes the contact device 5, electric current passes from the battery 8 through the lead Wires 30 and 3|, energizing magnet 32, effecting operation of the magnetic switch 33 to close the circuit from the battery 8 through lead wires 30, 34, and 35, magnetic clutch 25, and leadv wire 36, back to the other pole of the battery 8. The full circuit for energizing the magnet 32 is through lead wires 30, 3|, magnet 32,

lead Wire 31, contact device 5, lead wire 38 and l tatevv the lever- 4I pivoted about an axis 42 to cause theother end of said lever to connect the lead wires 34 and 35 by bridging the contacts 3 and 441 by aconducting element 45, The other magnet- 45 associated with the armature 81v is for'the'purpose of breaking the circuit through the conducting element 45, when desired, as will be' subsequently described. Y

The lever 45| preferably has an extension 41 'to-which is'pivoted'a-guide member 48 carrying a spring 43: acting between the pivoted end of said rnember'48` and a stop 50 so as to form a toggle, causing the lever 4I to maintain the circuit through'the lead wires 34and 35 closed, after momentary actuation of the magnet 32, until actuatiorrof the magnet 46, when the circuit will be keptropen` until re-energization of the magnet 32.

The energization of the electrical Winding producing.l the magnetic clutch 25 causes the hub portion I6. to rotate with the shaft II and frictionally move both the red disk I2 and the blue disk I3, sorthat upon closing of the iirst contact,

appear in the'window opening I5.

v a redsector ofi steadily increasing angularity will When' the car actuates the track contact 6, a l

circuit isv completed from the batteryY 3 through lead- Wire 3U; lead wire 5I, contact device 6', lead wire 52, lead Wire 53,' electromagnet 54 and back *tov the battery through lead wires 55 and 33.

This actuation of the electromagnet 54 pulls the disk brake or motion arresting device 56 from the full 1lne= position shown in Figure 5 to the dot-dash linefpositiony thereof, where it clutches the toothed edge 51 of the disk I2 to arrest the movement thereof. The disk brake 56 is preferably connected' up with a spring toggle like the `wires. 3U, 58, 5.3, 60, electromagnet 6I and lead wires 62, 63', contact device 1, lead wires Bil, 65, 36, and' 39 to the other pole of the battery 8. The energization of electromagnet 6I operates a disk brake 61, for the blue disk I3, correspond ing withfthe disk brake 53 for the red disk I2 and thereby stops or'arrests the movement of the blue disk' I3AWhich', since the stopping of the red disk, has been moving from behind the red disk and producing a blue sector of'steadily increasing angularity alongside the now stationary red sector'.

vice 5 to the contactdevice 6, and when the car passes fromV the contact device 6 tothe contact device 1. From` this, it will be clear that if the red sector showing, at the time the movement of the bluedisk has been arrested, is greater than the bluev sector, the speed of the car has accelerated in passing'from the first to the second retarder, or from contact'5 to contact 1, whereas if a larger blue sector shows, one will know that vthe speed of the car has been retarded in passing from one retarder to the other.

Inasmuch as one will be able' to judge the speed of the car as it passes the tower and through the lirst retarder,

he will from this beV able to approximate the -speed of the car as it reaches the second retarder so as to know how much braking force to apply thereto.

If it is desired to know the absolute speed of the car rather than merely whether the car has increased or decreased in speed in passing from one retarder to another, the disks I2 and I3 can be calibrated, as shown in Figure 4, so that the speed in miles per hour can be read at the extreme left edge of the visible portions of said disks. Inasmuch as the extent .of the disks showing represents time, the graduations on the disks representing miles per hour will be laid off lproportionately tothe reciprocals of the circumferential dimensions of the disks. In other l words, the point on each disk representing a certain speed in miles per hour'will be one-half the distance from the right-hand edge of the disk that another point representing half that'speed is disposed. To make the matter clearer by an example, it will be seenthat the point on the disk representing a speedof ten miles per hour is twice as far from the extreme right-hand edge of the disk as the point representing a speed ofV twenty miles per hour, and the pointon vthe disk representing a speed of forty milesper hour is half way between the twenty mile point and the extreme right-hand edge of the disk considering the showing of Figure 4; It will, therefore, be

clear Vthat for a given motor speed and distance betweenthe contacts 5, 6, and 1, the disksV I2 and I3 may be calibrated toY show the averagefspeed of the car between the respective contacts so that with .such a calibration it would,V not be absolutely necessary to use more than one disk, Vwhich disk would show the desired speedof the` car adjacent the secondV retarder 4.

To reset the various switches, brakes and disks, I employ, in the embodiment illustrated, a cam 28 which is revolved by the hub I6 until it'rea'ches the full line position shown in Figure'S, where it engages the'switch `68 pivoted at 69 and forces it against the tension of its associated spring 18 -to bridge Vthe conducting element 1| thereof across the contacts'12 and 13 to close the circuit from the battery 8 through the lead wires l'30, 58, 59, electromagnet, lead wires 15,16bridg ing element 1|, lead wires 11 and 39, back to the other pole of the battery 8. The electromagnet 14 pulls the armature18 of magnetic switchs19,

.return spring 24 to restore the -99on switch 19, contact 94,

turning the lever 80 thereof about the pivot 8| 'against the spring 82 and closing the following circuits.

l The engagement of the bridging conductor 83 onlthelever'80 with the contacts 84 and 85 closes -a circuit from the battery 8 through the 'lead wires 30, 86, electromagnet 46, lead wires 88, V89,

'actuation of the switch 19, a circuit is completed from the battery 8 through the lead wires A30, 58, 59, V60, 95, electromagnet 96, electromag- 'net 91, lead wire 98, contact 93, bridging piece and lead wires |00, I0 I, and 39, to the other pole of the battery. The energization of the electromagnets 96 and 91 effects the release of the associated disk brakes or -devices 56and 61 which had previously arrested Aor checked the motion of the disks or indicating elements I2 and I3. The device is thenready to repeat-the afore-described cycle upon movement of another car from the first retarder past the various contacts to the second retarder. From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that I have devised an indicator actuated automatically by movement of an object or car, along a predetermined path ortrack and showingat a distance from said car if the indi- .cating element or elements is or are calibrated,

the absolute average speed of the car between fixed points, and, in any event, showing graph- *f ically and directly the relative amounts of time Afor the car to travel equal distances on adjacent sections of track, so that the change in speed,

`or continuance at uniform speed, can be immediately noted, the device automatically resetting itself for Yanother car. Although in the preferred embodiment illustrated I have shown the resetting switch actuated by the hub on the motor Aupon turning nearly a complete revolution, yet

it will be understood that, if desired, resetting may be effected by a fourth contact device |02 closed by the car after passing the contact device 1 and allowing a reasonable amount of time after the stopping of the blue disk to read either the speed ofthe car or note the change in speed .or continuance of the car at uniform speed so that theV track retarder operator may be in a position `to intelligently actuate the second retarder.

Each of the contact devices 5, 6, 1, and |02 may be constructed as shown in detail in Figures 12 and 13. In saidgures, the contact device 5, illustrated by way of example, comprises a housing |94 mounted on a railway tie |05, for example, andlsupporting a wheel flange engaging element |06, normally urged into engagement with a rail I, as by means of a helical spring |01. The rai lengaging device |06 may comprise a head |08,

which actually contacts with the rail and is forced therefrom by a wheel flange when Ythe car passes thereover, and a pair of bars |09 slidably mounted in corresponding notches ||0 in the housing I 04- and held in place by the housing Y cover.` plate-'I secured thereover as by means of ,tapbolts I|2.` y

The housing |04 carries spaced. contacts H3 I.and II'II- electrically` separated therefrom: by insulation II5 and respectively connectedtor lead wires 31 and 33. The slidable bars |09.: carry a circuit closing block IIB electrically separated ltherefrom by insulation I'I'I and normally' en.- gaging the contact II3. When, however, at. car 'passes over the Contact device 5,.a wheel flange moves the head Hi8 to theright, asviewed in Figure 13, causing the contact block I IB to bridge the space between the contact pieces I I3 and I I4, closingV the circuit between the lead wires 31 and 38 After the car passes, thespring IIITl returns the sliding element ESS of: the contactdevice to its normalV position in engagement with the rail. I,

-thereby again opening the circuit. AlthouglrI have only described in detail the contact device 5, it willbe understood that contactdevices 6,1; and I02- may be identical, and serve. to completectheir associated circuits in a similar manner.

Although preferred embodiments of my invention have been disclosed, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the spirit" and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:-

l. In a device for indicating the speed of.' a moving-object, the combination with a plurality of adjacent relatively movable indicato-r elements, of mechanism for moving each of said elements at substantially constant speed, means controlled by said moving object for operatively connecting said indicator elements to said mechanism to cause Vsaid elements to move simultaneously, means co-ntrolled by said moving object for arresting the movement of one of said indicator elementsto enable another thereof to shift its positionv relatively thereto, and means controlled by said moving object for arresting relative movement of said' indicator elements.

2. In a device for indicating the speed of afmoving object, the combination with a plurality of adjacent relatively movable indicator elements, of mechanism for moving each of said indicator elements at substantially constant speed, and a plurality of means adapted to4 be successively actuated by said moving object for controlling the movements of said indicator elements, one of said means serving to effect operative connection of said indicator elements to said mechanism, another of said means subsequently acting to arrest the movement of oneof said indicator elements, and still another of said means thereafter acting to arrest relative movement between said indicator elements.

3. In a device for indicating the speed of amoving object, the combination with a plurality of adjacent relatively movable indicator elements, of motor mechanism adapted to move said indicator elements at a predetermined speed, meansr adapted to be actuated by said moving object for operatively connecting said indicator elements to said motor mechanism to cause said elements to be simultaneously actuated by said mechanism, and a plurality of successively operating means for respectively arresting motion of said indicator elements.

4. In a device for indicating the speed of an object having a motion of translation along a predetermined path, the combination with a plurality of adjacent relatively movable indicator elements, of motor mechanism adapted to move said indicator elements at substantially equal constant speeds, a plurality of circuit controlling devices arranged at predetermined intervals along said path and adapted to be actuated by said` moving objectaand; a` plurality of electrical circuits respectively controllediby said devices,v one of said circuitsiincludingl means for operatively connectingsaidindicator elements to said motor means to cause said elementsto be simultaneously actuated thereby, and the remaining circuits each includng'means forl arresting. the movement of one of said indicator elements.

5. In a. device-for indicating the speed of an object having'. amotion of translation along a predetermined path, the. combination with a calibrated indicator.l disk, of motor mechanism adapted to actuate a shaft at substantially constant speed for producing angular rotation of said disk to: expose an'. increasingly greater area thereof, a plurality of circuit controlling devices spaced along said path and adapted to be actuated by said moving object, a'. plurality of electric circuits respectively controlled by said devices,.one of said circuits including means for operatively connecting said diskto said shaft to cause it to be moved, and. the' remaining circuit including means for arrestingf the.: movement of said disk.

6..In;a device for indicating the speed of an object having a motion of translation along a predetermined. path, thecombination with a plurality of adjacent relativelyY movable indicator elements, of a shaft running at constant speed and adapted to move said elements, three circuit closing devices arranged at predetermined substantially equal intervals along said path and adaptedto be actuatedby said moving object, and a plurality of electric circuits respectively controlled by said devices, one of said circuits including meansv for operatively connecting said indicator elements to said shaft to cause said elements to be simultaneously actuated thereby, and the remaining' circuits each including means for sequentially arrestingthe movement of said-indicator elementsl for showing the speed and rela-y tive speed of said object when travelling between said. circuit controlling devices.

'7. In combination, a section of track, two electrical` contactv devices spaced va predetermined distance along said track and adapted to be successively closed by a passing car, and an indicatorI controllable by said contact devices,.said indicator comprising a shaft rotating slowly at substantially'constant speed, a hub with an electromagnetic clutchA to cause it to rotate with said` shaftv but normally loose thereon and resiliently held in neutral position, a1 calibrated indicating disk adapted to be rotatedV frictionally by said hub, means for stopping said disc, and wiring electricallyl connecting said. contact devices to said indicator anddisk-stopping means so that; upon a car moving along said track and closing the rst contact, the clutch actuates the hub and causes said disk to rotate, andupon closing the second4 contact the disk-stopping means operates to stop saiddisk, whereby the angular movement of said disk shows the average speed of the car on the section of track betweensaid contactdevices.

8. In combination, a section of track, three electrical contact devices spaced substantially equidistant along said track and adapted to be successively closedby a passing car, and an indicator controllable by said contactv devices, said indicator comprising a shaft rotating slowly at substantially constant speed, a hub with an electromagnetic clutch to cause it to rotate with said shaft butV normally loose thereonV and resiliently held in'A neutral position, anr outerY and an` inner indicating. disk adapted-.to .be rotated frictionally by said hub, means for individually stopping said disks, and wiring electrically connecting said contact devices to said indicator and disk-stopping means so that; upon a car moving along said track and closing the first contact, the clutch actuates the hub and causes both disks to rotate, upon closing the second contact the outer diskstopping means operates to stop said disk, and upon closing the third contact the inner diskstopping means operates to stop said disk, whereby the relative angularity of said disks compares the time taken for the car to travel from the rst to the second'contact device with that to travel from the second to the third contact device, and means for resetting upon turning of the hub a predetermined amount.

9. In a freight classification yard, in combination, a car retarder, and a calibrated disk operated by a moving car to expose an area thereof, which area is inversely proportional to the speed of said car, for indicating said speed to an operator at a distant point to enable said operator to actuate the retarder to a desired extent.

10. In combination with a railway track divided into two sections of substantially equal length, electrical contact devices positioned, respectively, at the beginning of the rst section, the junction between sections and the end of the second section, and an indicator operated upon actuation of said contact devices by a moving car,

said indicator comprising a pair of motor driven coaxially rotating disks, marked so that their movements from normal positions are observable, the rotation of both of which is started at substantially uniform speed when the car actuates the first contact device, the rotation of one of said disks being stopped when the car actuates the second contact device, and the rotation of the second disk being stopped when the car actuates the third contact device, whereby the relative angularity of said disks shows an observer the relative length of time for the car to travel the rst section of track as compared with that to travel the second section of track.

11. In a freight classication yard, in combination, a plurality of adjacent relatively movable indicator elements, means to start said elements rotatingat substantially constant speed from the same angular positions when a car moving in said yard reaches one end of a section of track, means to stop one of said elements when the car reaches the other end of said section, and means to stop the other element when the car has reached the far end of a contiguous section of track of the same length, whereby Athe average speed of the car while traveling over the sections of track may be determined by comparing the final relative angular positions of said indicator elements. 

